Grace Hopper Scholarship Helps Turn HCU STEM Students’ College Dreams Into Reality
Two Grace Hopper Scholarship recipients share how their dreams of attending college and pursuing degrees in the STEM field were made possible by the generosity of a private donor. Named in honor of Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computer programming, the scholarship will provide invaluable financial support to students seeking to prepare for careers in high-demand STEM fields. The unnamed benefactor’s generosity aims to nurture the growth of the College of Science and Engineering at Houston Christian University (HCU) with the goal of doubling the number of scholarship recipients in 2025.
“We are deeply grateful for the support of this generous donor in supporting the Grace Hopper Scholarships at HCU. These generous awards for qualified engineering students will open up career opportunities for young people who would otherwise be unable to enter these exciting fields. This financial support will dramatically increase the number of students we are able to enroll in engineering at HCU and will benefit greatly not only the students and their families for years to come, but also the city of Houston and the workforce needs we have in this great city.” -HCU President Robert Sloan
TYREEQ HARVEY was elated when he learned about a scholarship that would pay up to full tuition for incoming freshmen and transfer students pursuing degrees in STEM at Houston Christian University (HCU).
Initially, the Houston Community College transfer student had his eyes set on attending the University of Houston. His focus shifted to HCU when he learned about the Grace Hopper Scholarship which filled the gaps in his financial aid package.
“The scholarship allows me to complete my education without worrying about being a financial burden,” said Harvey.
HCU’s Grace Hopper Scholarship is awarded to qualifying incoming freshmen students with a minimum 3.25 or higher GPA who are interested in pursuing a computer science, cyber engineering, cybersecurity, electrical engineering, information systems or mathematics degree. Transfer students with a cumulative college GPA of 3.0 or better are also eligible to receive up to full tuition. Transfer students with less than 15 college credit hours are evaluated as freshmen based on their high school GPA of 3.25 or higher.
An honor roll student in the top 10 percent of his graduating class at Sharpstown High School and a member of the National Honor Society, Harvey was an ideal candidate to receive the scholarship.
Harvey is among the first cohort of freshmen/ transfer students automatically considered for the Grace Hopper Scholarship as a part of the admissions process. He is now pursuing a Computer Science degree at HCU. With the help of the Grace Hopper Scholarship, he is focused on obtaining his degree and achieving his goal of becoming a software developer and bringing software applications to life.
SETH KAMATA felt that a college education was potentially out of reach when he attended an honors reception at HCU and learned about the cost of tuition. A top student at Santa Fe High School, a member of the National Honor Society and an honors graduate, he and his parents met with an admissions counselor and were told about a donor who was paying up to full tuition to fill in the gap for new freshmen/transfer students pursuing STEM degrees.
The leading factor that led him to consider HCU was its Christian foundation, but the Grace Hopper Scholarship made attending the faith-based university a reality.
“Without the Grace Hopper Scholarship, the cost of tuition at HCU, even with my academic scholarship, was potentially out of my reach. I am so grateful to God to have obtained it, and I fully intend to be worthy of the gift and opportunity,” said Kamata, who also recruited a friend to enroll at the University.
He and his family call the scholarship a “huge blessing” because of the drastic difference in the quality of the education between private school and public school. Kamata also appreciates the opportunity to make connections with his professors and study in a Christian environment where his faith is nurtured.
During his early college search, he initially planned to pursue a degree in electrical engineering but decided to pursue a cyber engineering degree for the well-rounded education offered in both fields.
“I want to make a positive impact in my field while maintaining a healthy family and work life balance. Most of all, I would like to one day use my engineering skills to either create my own product or company to become independent,” said the HCU freshman.
Kamata believes that many of the world’s problems can be solved through science from curing diseases to constructing buildings to developing technology that helps farmers in third world countries deal with crippled, genetically modified crops. His goal in pursuing a STEM degree is to advance technology in a way that improves the quality of life for as many people as possible, but his highest goal is “to use his God-given talents and resources to be the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth.”
“My faith is the most important thing to me, and it influences all areas of my life. I wanted to be surrounded by others that had similar mindsets and core values and want to leave a legacy of service that brings glory to Christ,” said Kamata.
This scholarship closes the gap of tuition owed once grants and merit scholarships are applied. In other words, the Grace Hopper Scholarship is meant to cover the balance of tuition costs after merit and other need-based aid is awarded. To receive this award, students must be eligible to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students are required to submit their FAFSA. Once in the program, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and cannot change their major (except to one of the six listed on page 3). Post-baccalaureate students are not eligible.